Is Spirit of the North worth playing? Despite the previous few paragraphs of ranting, I think it is. There’s genuine beauty in the design of the environments and the way the world is brought to life, which is really quite extraordinary. Also, that soundtrack is just superb and pairs well with the quiet isolation of the fox’s cross-country journey. Just be prepared for some awkward 3D platforming and make sure you’ve got a walkthrough nearby for when you inevitably get stuck at a dead end.

This ‘rogue-like’ gaming experience is rewarding for those who are fans of this methodical genre. It is slow, patient game, built on the acquisition of knowledge and resources to uncover the mysteries of the deep. It appeals to a certain type of gamer, one who embraces the challenge and has the patience to explore the lore which is waiting for you. The persistent darkness sets the scene of mystery and the ever-looming threat of perma-death has your every decisions loaded with implications.

Moving Out is a home-grown indie effort that quite literally embodies the best of couch co-op. If you’re a fan of multiplayer experiences like Overcooked and Tools Up, this is a game to pick up – especially if you have a group of friends or family to join in the entertaining chaos.

Does SoR4 do the franchise justice? Yes! It gives older gamers the game they’ve been waiting for while offering younger players the chance to play a comic-book esque beat-em-up that’s challenging and fun. The highlight of the game for me was the soundtrack, which works in synergy with the gameplay to heighten intensity as the game becomes progressively more difficult. The one big let down is the length of the game, which I don’t think has been reflected in the launch pricing, especially for PS4.

If you enjoyed the series then this is a good addition to your collection. It’s a decent price normally but during a sale it’s a great value option to get some more turn based combat gaming in… just make sure you save often and watch out for that one enemy who’s just waiting to flank you.

I would happily recommend the game though, it really is a great mix of XCOM and HOMM and with that touch of humour thrown in it makes for quite the fun play experience. You can either play it as a pick up and go game or thrown in some serious hours just advancing through the game. It’s a decent price point too, not too high for something that has a decent amount of play time available.

While the lack of new story missions is undeniably disappointing for me personally, the South America Pack is still an excellent addition to Planet Zoo with its huge array of new scenery pieces and fun new animals. It’s encouraging to see Frontier maintain such a high-degree of quality in their DLC releases and frequent gameplay updates to support this ever-expanding universe. I’ve still got my fingers crossed for a massive aquatic animal expansion to be announced any day now, but until then, you can find me working on my Colombian-themed Big Cat Rescue park.

Gears Tactics is a fantastic strategy game and an excellent addition to the Gears of War series, and I’d recommend it to anyone who is either a fan of Gears of War, or to the XCOM series style of game. Also, Cole Train, as always, is a goddamn delight.

Overall Saints Row IV Re-elected is a very competent entry to the Switch Library and it is definitely worth the purchase if you have the hankering for some crazy open world action. It is unfortunately priced on the higher side of re releases so please keep that in mind. As long as you can handle the Nintendo Switch’s less than impressive Joycon analogue sticks.

Animal Crossing New Horizons is pure fun and proves that this game still has it! So what are you waiting for, go out there and build your island and meet a colourful assortment of animals that will call your island home! Recommended from start to finish and then back again!

The tension and atmosphere were really good, the gameplay and acting were relatively sub par. The story shone in these games, directing you ahead with a seemingly single minded goal. Then suddenly you realise there was more to the game and the subtle choices you make along the way can change the ending. After playing these games I really want to read the books as the story is really what kept me playing. If anything, my curiosity is satisfied and I honestly recommend checking it out of the story interests you. And with an enticing price of $69.95, the value isn’t too bad considering remasters these days are being sold at full price. Yet here is two games for less than the price of one. If you’re looking at metro as an action game, I’d recommend against it.

If you are looking to read a game with an amazing story, atmospheric music and very little game play, then In Other Waters would be right up your alley. This is a game you can take it easy with and just enjoy the story the writers want to take you on. It will hold your hand and tell you a tale. I’d like to say that it has more to offer but that’s it, and honestly that’s not a bad thing. I would of like to have been more involved in the games story and I would have loved for there to have been more to look on the screen, but you’ve got to respect what this company has accomplished. They set out to tell their story and they did it in the best way they thought possible. This game may not really be what I look for in my video games, but I can see how others would love it, and I respect Jump Over The Age for their work.

Although the graphics could be sharper, this game suits players who love to explore vast environments and tackle puzzles along the way. Based on factual science and history, this is a must for survival lovers that want to learn as they conquer this harsh and unforgiving landscape. Also, hat’s off to this game for offering a unique storyline and gameplay experience, striving away from the open-worlds with maps and guidelines that we are used to playing as gamers.

Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is a solid return to a genre classic that proves that it still has what it takes to stand up to the big boys, although the lack of multiplayer may be a stinging point for some.

At the core, Resident Evil 3 remake is a good game. It plays smoothly and is immensely entertaining. Aside from the fact that the game is sorely lacking in content compared to the original or even the previous Resident Evil 2 remake, I still advise fans of the games, especially Resident Evil 3, to try it out as its quite a refreshing take on the original and feels close enough to home. If you aren’t a Resident Evil fan, however, I advise you to stay away and save the 60 dollars. If you’d like a more modern introduction to the series, I’d recommend the objectively better Resident Evil 2 remake. All in all, I had fun with my playthrough of the game, which is what matters.

Overall, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 succeeds in doing what most anime-based games fail at. Its fluid, offers a tremendous amount of fan service, and not to mention its ridiculously fun to play through with fantastic production and an equally incredible soundtrack to boot. For the One Piece fans out there looking for a game of their favorite anime, I say this is the best one we have on the market so far, despite the faults it has.

Overall it’s a fun game and a great way to pass the time. It’s not overly violent (well I mean you are killing creatures, robots etc… but it’s all in comic book style art so it doesn’t come across as gory) so you can play it with younger eyes about (something far more likely to be the case with the current pandemic). It’s pretty decent value too when you consider the replayability of different character types with different strengths and weaknesses and different play options outside the main storyline. If you like RPG’s, roguelikes, tactical card battle games there’s a good chance you will enjoy this.

So, does Final Fantasy VII Remake live up to the standards set all those years ago? Overall, yes. The world is lively, the script is well written and the combat feels natural. There is still a long way to go in the saga yet, but with these bones it feels like Square Enix has the potential to build something great. The first instalment strikes a great balance of catering to long-time fans while opening up the tale to a newer generation. If you don’t like it, there’s always the original. This trip to Midgar is well worth taking, even if it feels like the best may be yet to come.

For the most part I loved/am loving the expansion with the only issue I have being a pretty major one. At the point of writing this, I was quite happily playing along and have had the game crash twice, the first I was able to escape from by using a bit of Alt Tabbery… but the second time that would not release me from the game, no crash report, nothing. Control Alt Del did very little but by using the windows key I was able to bring up the start menu and though I couldn’t do much there I was able to restart the computer. I’m not currently keen to jump back in, preferring to wait to see if there’s a patch, but I would love to continue playing in the world of Control and that’s testament to the game world Remedy have created. If you share my love for the game world, the story, the whole feel for Control then I’m sure you will want to get The Foundation!

I highly recommend the game for anyone who likes turn based combat games and especially those who love a bit of a deeper storyline woven in. It’s not a bad price, but it is worth noting that single play through can be achieved in about 6 to 7 hours… so the main way you will get value here is in replaying to see what different story choices do to your outcome, but I’m pretty confident when you get to the end, you will feel compelled to jump back in and see if you can get a different ending.

Persona 5 Royal is the definitive edition of Persona 5 and one of the best Japanese role-playing games this generation has produced. The original was already packed full of over a hundred hours worth of content, but the 30+ hours of new additions offer some serious replay value. Both returning fans and new players will enjoy Royal immensely thanks to its new wealth of content, performance and visual enhancements, and gameplay refinements that make the experience better than the original. The story and characters are as interesting and memorable as before and the new semester and cast flesh out the Phantom Thieves for the better.

While the psychological and supernatural horror elements aren’t as well conveyed in the writing or voice-acting as bigger budget games, the effort and detail put into the shifting setting, sound design and visual presentation offer up an enjoyable and immersive horror game experience.

Without the review copy, I might not have taken the leap to jump into what is essentially a great quality of life improvement on an already pretty strong base experience. My advice would be to wait for a sale to come around, it’s definitely worth your time, but maybe not quite your money.

Two Point Hospital is a fun, business-management strategy game wrapped up in a charmingly silly Theme Hospital-shaped packaged. Those looking for a business-sim challenge will find plenty of enjoyment in scrutinising payrolls, training staff and designing building layouts for maximum efficiency. Yet those looking for a more relaxed experience won’t have much trouble completing the various challenges presented throughout the campaign. The creative tools on offer aren’t as robust as other recent management games, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to make your designs stand out. Check this one out if you’ve enjoyed other business-management games in the past or if you’re looking for a goofy strategy game with plenty of charm.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is everything you could want from a sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest. It isn’t a revolutionary new step forward for the series by any means, but it does an excellent job of building upon all the core concepts that made Ori and the Blind Forest so fantastic, whilst also adding enough new features to justify its title as a sequel, rather than an additional DLC expansion. If you haven’t played through Ori and the Blind Forest (you should), Ori and the Will of the Wisps is worth jumping into regardless, as it polishes the Ori formula to a shine and is an incredible experience in its own right.

Doom Eternal does its legacy proud. Unabashedly difficult, frantic, and single player-centric, it knows what it is…and does it well.

All in all, MLB The Show 20 remains perhaps the deepest sports title on modern consoles. There’s so much to do, it’s the rare game that can keep a sports fan occupied for ¾ of a year, easily. It’s not a vast improvement from the prior year’s offering, but possesses enough upgrades to justify the purchase leap.

Samurai Showdown for the Switch is a brilliant reboot of a terrific classic fighter. Its unique fighting mechanics persist, backed by a beautiful presentation upgrade. Still, its online community is lacking, and its uniqueness may be off-putting to many.